The present invention relates, in general, to a prefabricated building block and is more particularly concerned with a reinforced concrete block preferably for constructing retaining walls.
Some retaining walls are constructed from conventional concrete blocks. These blocks are joined by cement mortar. Some of the problems associated with the walls constructed in this manner are that the wall is costly and time consuming to make, the blocks are relatively hard to handle, and the wall is very susceptible to cracking and deterioration due to lateral forces on the wall from the retained earth.
The prior art also teaches the use of blocks that are specifically made for constructing retaining walls. In this connection, reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 3,282,054 to Saginor. This patent shows a T-shaped concrete block. However, there are certain disadvantages associated with the specific structure taught by this patent. In the first place because of the particular construction of the block, it is quite difficult to construct the block by any well known pouring technique using a mold. Also, this prior art block is susceptible to breakage problems and because of the particular construction of the prior art block, it is difficult to properly back fill the earth about the block.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide an improved reinforced concrete block preferably adapted for constructing retaining walls.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a retaining block that is reinforced preferably by means of reinforcing rods to provide a more durable block.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a reinforced concrete block that is easier to construct and easier to work with.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved reinforced concrete block that is constructed in the manner that permits proper back filling of the earth that covers a portion of the block.